As I have matured, my perceptions about the value of education have shifted as well. My current belief is that education is critical to the social, economic, political, and intellectual advancement of our society and the world. Therefore, education is my greatest value and I have chosen to devote my life to helping others recognize it’s potential. With that, it is important that I express to what end, by what means, and to what degree I foresee education occurring in my classroom.
Currently, I understand learning as a process of synthesizing knowledge and skills by means of exploration and practice. By that, I mean that learning is not transmitted from teacher to student, but instead has to be built by the student if it is to be considered meaningful. This conception of learning has shifted my ideas about what it means to teach and how this can be accomplished in today’s secondary science classroom. In order to foster this learning in my classroom, two frameworks are necessary. First, I will encourage a growth mindset by reinforcing the idea that intelligence is not fixed but instead is developed over time through practice and determination. It is an I can and I will attitude about learning that is crucial to successful learning especially in high needs districts where students must overcome incredible adversity. I will reinforce this idea by addressing it on the first day of class, posting growth mindset statements in my classroom, continually using language aligned with this idea, and requiring revisions to student work. The second framework I will utilize is an “explore then explain” model. This means that I will create innovative lessons that require students to investigate a topic through hands-on lab work, web-quests, discussions, etc. prior to my explanation of the topic. Therefore, content knowledge is synthesized and consequently the learning that occurs is meaningful.
One of my major goals as a science educator is to educate all students in science and engineering so that they become scientifically literate. Additionally, I must provide the foundations necessary for students who choose to pursue science in higher education or as a career. I will use project based learning and discovery learning as the means to achieve these academic goals in my classroom. By designing and carrying out investigations through project based learning and other interactive, relevant lessons, students will “do real science” which is critical to their development of scientific literacy and foundational science knowledge. Additionally, all lessons will effectively integrate the Next Generation Science Standards and the three dimensional learning covered by these standards.
A second goal of mine is to promote the overall academic, social, and emotional maturation of all students who enter my classroom. Students in my class will be organized, confident, self-motivated learners who frequently engage in self-reflection and metacognition. They will think critically and problem solve. Additionally, students will effectively transfer their knowledge to novel situations. Finally, students will become intrinsically motivated and eventually recognize the importance of science and education in today’s society. In order to accomplish these extensive goals, I must teach with them in mind every day. Generally, these goals pertain to my classroom management and personal interactions with the students. My management style will be largely humanistic in that I will pay attention to the motivation and needs of my students as well as research surrounding adolescent psychology and schools. This focus will promote maturation, self-knowledge, and self-control in students. Additionally, all of these characters are essential to submerging students in the growth mindset. I will be “warm but strict” so that students know I do not accept excuses, have high expectations and do not permit failure. I will convey these necessities in an empathetic manner so that students see that I am not holding such high expectations to be mean, but instead to encourage them to better themselves every day. It is essential that I create a safe environment for students because without one, meaningful learning cannot occur. It is my hope that my empathetic personality as well as outlines rules in my classroom will create this safe space. Similarly, I hope that students feel comfortable coming to me for academic help and emotional advice as well as to rejoice in their successes. I want to be a role model for all students.
In conclusion, I will promote a growth mindset and an “explore then explain model” in my classroom in order to foster meaningful learning or student synthesis of knowledge. By teaching a growth mindset, students will understand that they can continually develop and overcome adversity in the classroom and in their lives. This will be accomplished through the use of hands-on activities, project based learning, and effective integration of technology in each class. In doing so, students will leave my classroom scientifically literate and ready to progress to science careers or higher education. By using relevant material and explorative lessons, students will become intrinsically motivated and learn the real value of education. My use of a humanistic classroom management style will promote the academic, social, and emotional maturation of all students so that they leave my classroom confident, organized, reflective, and ready to succeed in any endeavors they choose to pursue.
Currently, I understand learning as a process of synthesizing knowledge and skills by means of exploration and practice. By that, I mean that learning is not transmitted from teacher to student, but instead has to be built by the student if it is to be considered meaningful. This conception of learning has shifted my ideas about what it means to teach and how this can be accomplished in today’s secondary science classroom. In order to foster this learning in my classroom, two frameworks are necessary. First, I will encourage a growth mindset by reinforcing the idea that intelligence is not fixed but instead is developed over time through practice and determination. It is an I can and I will attitude about learning that is crucial to successful learning especially in high needs districts where students must overcome incredible adversity. I will reinforce this idea by addressing it on the first day of class, posting growth mindset statements in my classroom, continually using language aligned with this idea, and requiring revisions to student work. The second framework I will utilize is an “explore then explain” model. This means that I will create innovative lessons that require students to investigate a topic through hands-on lab work, web-quests, discussions, etc. prior to my explanation of the topic. Therefore, content knowledge is synthesized and consequently the learning that occurs is meaningful.
One of my major goals as a science educator is to educate all students in science and engineering so that they become scientifically literate. Additionally, I must provide the foundations necessary for students who choose to pursue science in higher education or as a career. I will use project based learning and discovery learning as the means to achieve these academic goals in my classroom. By designing and carrying out investigations through project based learning and other interactive, relevant lessons, students will “do real science” which is critical to their development of scientific literacy and foundational science knowledge. Additionally, all lessons will effectively integrate the Next Generation Science Standards and the three dimensional learning covered by these standards.
A second goal of mine is to promote the overall academic, social, and emotional maturation of all students who enter my classroom. Students in my class will be organized, confident, self-motivated learners who frequently engage in self-reflection and metacognition. They will think critically and problem solve. Additionally, students will effectively transfer their knowledge to novel situations. Finally, students will become intrinsically motivated and eventually recognize the importance of science and education in today’s society. In order to accomplish these extensive goals, I must teach with them in mind every day. Generally, these goals pertain to my classroom management and personal interactions with the students. My management style will be largely humanistic in that I will pay attention to the motivation and needs of my students as well as research surrounding adolescent psychology and schools. This focus will promote maturation, self-knowledge, and self-control in students. Additionally, all of these characters are essential to submerging students in the growth mindset. I will be “warm but strict” so that students know I do not accept excuses, have high expectations and do not permit failure. I will convey these necessities in an empathetic manner so that students see that I am not holding such high expectations to be mean, but instead to encourage them to better themselves every day. It is essential that I create a safe environment for students because without one, meaningful learning cannot occur. It is my hope that my empathetic personality as well as outlines rules in my classroom will create this safe space. Similarly, I hope that students feel comfortable coming to me for academic help and emotional advice as well as to rejoice in their successes. I want to be a role model for all students.
In conclusion, I will promote a growth mindset and an “explore then explain model” in my classroom in order to foster meaningful learning or student synthesis of knowledge. By teaching a growth mindset, students will understand that they can continually develop and overcome adversity in the classroom and in their lives. This will be accomplished through the use of hands-on activities, project based learning, and effective integration of technology in each class. In doing so, students will leave my classroom scientifically literate and ready to progress to science careers or higher education. By using relevant material and explorative lessons, students will become intrinsically motivated and learn the real value of education. My use of a humanistic classroom management style will promote the academic, social, and emotional maturation of all students so that they leave my classroom confident, organized, reflective, and ready to succeed in any endeavors they choose to pursue.